Surprises and Secrets
by Stanathan25
Summary: Rick is home early from a tour to surprise his partner, but she won't be the only one with surprises and secrets.
1. Chapter 1

**First FanFic ever. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with this yet, but please leave comments and reviews. I'd love to hear them. **

**Disclaimers: I only wish I owned them... **

* * *

><p>It had been 6 long days and nights of hard work but the team finally closed the case. Detectives Ryan and Esposito were wrapping up their paperwork, but Beckett still had a few more hours of desk time ahead of her.<p>

"Yo Boss," said Esposito, "It's late, and none of us are on call tomorrow. Let's get out of here, and get a drink."

Beckett resisted the urge to decline only because she knew he was right. Everyone was dog tired, and the paper work would still be there Monday morning.

"Ah, what the heck, let's go." she said as she stood and pulled on her long black trench.

Det Ryan, holding his phone, approached his partners as they turned off their computers and gathered their belongings. "Um, I just got a text from Castle, he wants us to meet him at the Old Haunt."

"C..Castle text you?" a stunned Beckett stated more than asked

"Yeah, I thought he wa.." But before the Ryan could finish he felt his phone vibrate again. He opened the text and read it.

"Dude", said Esposito, "care to share with the rest of the class?"

"Castle is supposed to be in L.A. until next week. What is he doing back already?" asked Kate, while silently adding, "_and why is he texting you and not me first?"_

"I guess it doesn't much matter since I already told you what the first text says, but apparently he didn't want you to know he was back."

Espo and Beckett stood wide eyed facing the Irish detective as they were waiting on him to continue.

"And?" asked Beckett as she lifted an eyebrow towards him.

"Oh..um, well he said for me to tell Javi but not to tell you he was back. He just said for us to do whatever it takes to convince you to leave the paperwork and go with us."

Now both men had turned to face the blushing senior detective. Kate knew it was only a matter of seconds before they asked. They were trained, professional detectives. There is no way they would miss what Castle had said in his text to Ryan.

"Sooo Beckett," _yep, there it was, _"how would Castle happen to know that you were busy with paperwork?" a suspicious Javier asked.

"Lucky guess, I suppose." She wouldn't dare admit to the boys that she missed her plucky side kick, and she sure wouldn't admit that she and her writer had basically text 24 hours a day since he left for his mini book tour.

Neither of the guys believed her, but they knew her well enough to know that the scary Beckett glare meant they had better not push further if they knew what was best for them.

* * *

><p>It was still early when the trio left the precinct, so Kate decided to go home to shower and change before meeting the boys at Castle's bar. They had agreed that Beckett should pretend that she knew nothing of the text exchange between Ryan and Castle since it was clearly supposed to be a suprise.<p>

She showered quickly, dried her hair and left it to it's naturally wavy state. She stood staring at her closet trying to figure out what she should wear. It had been a couple of weeks since she had seen Rick and she smiled at the thought of teasing him a bit.

"Rick. Rick. When did I start thinking of him as Rick, instead of Castle?" She said aloud, to no one but herself. There had been many times over the past months that she has nearly called him by his first name in front of her team. That would only add to their already curious minds. No, she and Castle we're not dating. They weren't together and they sure weren't physically involved with one another. So what were they? Honestly, Kate Beckett had no idea. She had slowly, without even realizing it, begun to welcome the closeness of her partner. Is that all he is to her? Her partner? Yes he is her partner, but more than that he is part of her family, her best friend, her... She wasn't sure how to admit what they were exactly but she knew it was important that they address that soon. She had to eventually come clean and admit to him that she remembered, actually, never forgot him declaring his love for her. Once she did that, however, there would be no turning back. She had to be ready to not only deal with the consequences of being untruthful to him, but also ready to answer his questions. Did she return those feelings?

She looked at her watch, and realized that she had been lost in thought, still staring at her closet for more than ten minutes. She finally settled on a pair of dark jeans with embellished back pockets, a scoop neck, cream, fitted sweater and gray boots which of course came with 4 inches of heel.

* * *

><p>Her cell was ringing just as she pulled on her coat and headed out of her apartment.<p>

"Beckett" she answered

"Yo Becks, where are you?" said Esposito

"On my way, I'll be there in fifteen" she replied

"Alright, but hurry up before writer boy wears a hole in the floor from all the pacing he is doing"

Kate couldn't help but smile at the image of an anxious Castle waiting to 'surprise' her. She just hoped that she could appear genuinely surprised enough that it wouldn't ruin it for him.

She hailed a cab and gave the driver the address as she pull out her phone to send a text to Mr. Castle, himself.

**"hope ur day has been better than mine. headed to meet the boys n lanie the old**

**old haunt for celebratory drinks. wish u could join us. -K"**

She laughed when her phone buzzed only a moment later. Apparently he had been waiting to hear from her and was just as anxious as Esposito had said.

**"Sry 4 ur rough day. Tell the bartender u r friends with the owner so u won't have to**

**pay for drinks- RC**

She couldn't resist the temptation.

**"castle, i don't need to mention ur name to get free drinks..."**

* * *

><p>Rick Castle had become so used to seeing Kate Beckett nearly every day over the last several years that being away for a non-mandatory book tour was miserable. They hadn't even been able to talk on the phone. Both had left voicemails for the other, but their timing was terrible when it came to making those calls. Actually, when it came to the two of them, their timing was just terrible in general.<p>

Castle couldn't stand it. He called Gina, canceled the rest of his meetings and signings and booked a flight home to surprise _her._

So there he was, pacing between the bar and the door. "How is it, she can make it to a crime scene anywhere in Manhattan in less than twenty minutes, but takes more than an hour to get from the precinct to the bar?", he thought to himself. Little did he know that she had gone home to primp, though she would never admit that.

He was still pacing when his phone vibrated and he read the text about her ability to aquire free drinks on her own without his help. He stopped mid pace, his mouth hung open and he stood staring at his phone suddenly unsure how to respond and unsure what that meant exactly.

* * *

><p>"Finally," Kate thought, as the cab approached the Old Haunt.<p>

"If you don't mind, could you go down to the next block?"

"No problem, Miss" said the driver.

She gathered her things, paid the fare and hopped out of the cab. She used the short walk back to the bar to gather her composure and practice her 'surpised' reaction.


	2. Chapter 2

**As always, I really appreciate any reviews left. I now have a pretty good idea where I'm going with this. What do ya'll think?**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Castle. Just borrowing them.**

"What's got you so worked up, Castle?" asked Lanie

"Huh? What?"

"You heard me" she replied with a stern look and a raised brow.

"Lanie, you know Ka.. Beckett better than a lot of people, right?

"Honey, I know that girl better than she knows herself most days. Why?"

Rick didn't say anything at first, he just sat thinking for a moment.

"Castle, what is it?", she prodded

"It's just... Lanie, I think Kate is ready" he paused again before continuing, "even if she might not fully realize it yet.

"Look Rick," She laid her hand on his, "Kate is my best friend, and like a sister to me. I know she has come a long way, and I know that you are both crazy about each other. Just don't rush her. You have been so patient with her, much more patient than she has deserved sometimes, but be careful. I know that woman is as stubborn as stubborn gets and I don't want to see her go running away again because you pushed a little too soon." She softened her look and gave him a smile before removing her hand from his.

"I don't want to push her Lanie, but the last few cases have made life seem so incredibly short. I don't want either of us to miss out on what I know can be amazing."

He finished the scotch he had been nursing and set his glass on the bar. Castle motioned to his bartender and ordered another for himself, and a martini for Lanie.

When he turned around to continue his conversation with her, she wasn't Lanie. She was...

"B..Beckett!" Castle said, suddenly at a loss for intelligent words.

Kate stood there with her arms folded across her chest and waited quietly with an ever so slight smirk on her face. She didn't think he would ever speak.

"You finally made it", he managed to squeak out. He thought she looked beautiful. No, radiant, but yes, beautiful too.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were in LA until next week." She was trying her best to act like it was no big deal. Oh but it was. It was a huge deal. She has missed him more than she'd like to admit. At this moment, she kept her arms folded for fear that she wouldn't be able to prevent herself from wrapping her arms around him and grinning like an idiot.

" I got bored, and wanted to come home to see...um, my family." He almost confessed to coming home just to see her. He silently wondered what her reaction would have been had he said that.

"Well, I'm positive your family has missed you, Castle" she said, as she stepped in a little closer to him.

He offered her the martini that had oringinally been for Lanie. She took it from him, and caught his eye when their fingers brushed and lingered for longer than they normally should have. She was expecting to see the familiar sparkle in his baby blue eyes, but it wasn't there. It was something else, but she couldn't pinpoint what it was. He just gave her a small smile, and held his glass up to hers, "To being home", he said.

From the far end of the bar, Esposito, Ryan, and Lanie were observing their two friends.

"Twenty says Beckett and Castle leave together tonight" offered Esposito

"You're on!" said Ryan "Beckett didn't seem to be in any hurry to get here tonight, and she knew he was here."

"You read what Castle wrote in that text earlier" He looked at Ryan, then at Lanie. " Castle sent Ryan a text saying for us to pry Beckett away from the paperwork. How did he know she had been doing paper work all afternoon? I'm telling you, there is more to those to than they are letting us know about" He said before taking another swig of his beer.

"If Kate takes him home tonight, Ryan, you will be out twenty, and she is going to owe me a lot more than money. I want details. I need juicy details." Lanie laughed before heading in the direction of her favorite, 'almost' couple.

"Girl, I need you to come with me" Lanie said as she hooked her arm around Becketts.

"I'll order another round" Castle called out to the girls as they were walking away.

As much as he loved hanging out with his friends at his bar, he wanted nothing more than to have some time alone with Kate. There were things that he wanted to talk to her about, but didn't quiet have the courage to yet.

"Lanie, what's up? Why did you drag me in here?"

"Girls always go to the restroom in groups" Lanie answered, knowing fully that wasn't the answer Kate was looking for.

She leaned against the counter, "Spill, Lanie" as she gave her the best glare she could, although with several martinis and one shot of Patron running through her veins she ended up giggling. Actually giggling.

Lanie laughed, " Hahaha! Kate Beckett, I thought I'd never see the day you GIGGLE!"

Now the two women were both laughing so hard they were crying and had a hard time breathing.

As Lanie tried to regain her composure, she took Kate's hands in hers and said, "Listen to me girl. You know I love you, and I'd do anything for you, right?" She didn't wait to Kate to answer, she just continued, "Richard freakin Castle is in New York right now, in this bar, because he missed YOU. You, Kate. Not his family, not his friends, not because he was bored in L.A. Kevin, Javi, and I eavesdropped on the entire conversation between the two of you, so I know what was said."

Kate opened her mouth to speak, but Lanie again, cut her off, "Un-uh girl, you are going to hear me out."

Kate pursed her lips and nodded.

"I know you don't need me to sit here and tell you that man loves you. You already know it, don't you? No, you don't need to answer that. I'm not the one you need to be telling. I know you know it, and you know you know. You heard every word Castle said to you when you got shot."

Kate's eyes began to burn as she felt the tears come to the surface. She wanted to say something, but didn't because she knew she wouldn't be able to hold it together, so instead she let Lanie continue.

"Kate, honey, if you didn't feel the same way, you wouldn't be upset about it right now. I know you are scared to confess this to him, but you have GOT to do it. The longer you wait, the harder it's going to be."

She handed her friend a tissue, and stood quietly next to her for a moment. She wasn't sure what Kate wanted to say, but she knew it was something.

"Lanie," it came out just above a whisper, "I'm not ready yet."

"Not ready for what?"

"For a relationship with him"

"Then for heavens sake quit leading that man on, Kate!" Lanie snapped without intending to.

"Kate, Castle thinks you are ready, or at least close to being ready. You need to get it together, and either jump in with him, or let him move on. You can't expect him to wait around forever. He ain't gettin' any younger, Kate."

"What if he doesn't want to wait, Lanie? Then what am I supposed to do? I love him, I do. I am really in love with him, and I haven't just now realized this. I just want this to work, and I am so scared of screwing it up. If we, or if I mess this up, we may never get back what we currently have."

"What do you have right now, Kate?"

"A partnership, he is my best friend. He knows things about me, Lanie, that I haven't even told you." She looked at her friend and hoped that she didn't take offense to that. "I mean, he dug when I didn't want him to, but needed him to. He knows when to ask questions, and when to let me figure things out on my own. He is too good for me, Lanie."

"Don't be ridiculous! You deserve him, and he deserves you." Lanie reassured her. "Kate, what you just described is no different than what the two of you will have if you cross that line. Neither of you are dating anyone else, and neither of you want to. You are both committed to one another, already. You see each other basically every day. We ALL know that you text nonstop..."

Kate couldn't help the smile that formed on her face at the last of what Lanie said. She knew the ME was right.

"You are right. I just want to do this the right way. I need to talk to him... alone and away from here." Kate looked at her watch, "Oh my gosh! Lanie, we've been in here for a half hour. I'm surprised that Castle hasn't personally come in here to check on me... um, us."

"C'mon girl, go get your purse and your writer boy. The two of you need to grab a cab and head home."

"Writer MAN, Lanie... Writer man" Kate smiled as she and Lanie walked back into the bar.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm trying to proof read and correct any errors. Sorry if I miss some. I'm soooo not a professional writer, and not trying to become one. I just really love Castle, and I like to make the characters do things my way. **

**Nope... still don't own them. :::Sigh:::**

Castle kept glancing from his watch, towards the hallway leading to the restrooms. It had already been a half hour and they were still in there. He'd never figure out why women traveled in pairs to the ladies room, and he'd never understand what in the world took so long. Surely they were alright... weren't they? Just as he set his, now emptied, glass onto the bar in order to make his way into the women's bathroom he saw the pair walking towards him.

"Hey Castle" said Kate shyly.

"You ladies enjoy your little pow wow?" asked Castle

"I'll have you know, Writer Man, I don't call 'pow wow's' unless it is urgent" said Lanie with a serious, yet playful smirk on her face.

Lanie turned on her heel and headed in the opposite direction to find the boys (Javier).

"What was that all about?" asked Castle

"What was _what_ all about?"

He looked at her with that mischevious trademark Castle smile, "Writer- _Man?_"

"She always calls you that, Castle. It's not the first time you've heard it." Kate said, while gazing towards the floor in an unsuccessful attempt at hiding the teeth baring smile that now appeared on her face.

He stepped closer and invaded her personal space, yet again. She was afraid to look up, because she knew the moment she did, they would lock eyes and she probably wouldn't be able to refrain from attacking his lips with her own. It's been more than a year since their last kiss, and even though it was a last ditch effort to distract the guard so they could save their friends, Kate Beckett found that she more than enjoyed it. It's something that she often thinks back on, and honestly she is finally almost ready for it to happen again.

"Un-Uh" He said, while waving his finger at her, "Dr. Parish frequently refers to me as 'Writer-_Boy'_. Never has she once, in my presence, called me 'Writer-_Man_"

He was trying to figure out what the look on Kate's face meant. It was something between humored and embarrassed, and maybe a little bit of nervousness showing through too.

Finally, she shyly looked up at him and was chewing on her bottom lip, before saying, "Maybe you seem more like a man, than a boy to her these days, Rick."

Neither spoke for a few minutes. They both were thinking, possibly over thinking, the meaning of what Kate had just voiced. Was it really Lanie who now considered him to be grown up, or was that Kate's opinion?

Beckett hadn't realized it had gotten so late. She had a lot to drink, but had sobered up for the most part. Most of their friends had called it a night, so the bar was fairly empty. Rick got up from his bar stool to help Mike, one of his bartenders, clean up.

"No, no, no. Mr. Castle, Stan and I will take care of everything here. You and Miss Kate go on and have a wonderful night."

"Only if you are sure, Mike" said Castle

Rick reached for his wallet, pulled a significant amount of cash from it and slipped into Mike's hand as he bid him a goodnight. He loved helping people, especially those whom he was fond of. Mike is a single father of 3 small children and Castle sees to it that there is more than enough in his paycheck to cover everything they would need.

Kate stood silently watching the two of them interact. She knew that Castle liked Mike a lot, and spoke often of his children but she sensed there was more to the story. She also knew that while it was obvious he liked toys, gadgets, and the latest electronics, he didn't flaunt his money. Rick wanted to help people. Hell, he had even dropped a hundred grand of his own money to help find her mom's killer. He never wanted anything in return. He just wanted to see the happiness on the faces of those whose lives he touched.

"Beckett, you ready?" said Castle.

She was still lost in thought.

"Beckett?"

"Kate?" He said, only inches from her face.

Startled, she let out a yelp of sorts. "Castle! What?"

"I had been asking if you were ready to go, but you were of in la la land, or something. You okay?" he asked, with obvious concern.

"No, yeah. Yeah, I'm fine... " She mentally kicked herself for... for, well whatever the heck that was just now.

"If you aren't tired yet..." but before he could finish, she cut him off.

"Castle, do you want to come to my apartment for a little while. I can make some coffee, but I really have something I want to show you."

"Sure!" and then the 9 year old on a sugar rush was back

He didn't really know what else to say. He was so taken aback by her sudden request for him to join her, that he didn't have time to think of anything to say. He was actually going to invite her back to the loft for a movie. He had mentally prepared himself for her to reject the idea immediately, that when SHE took the initiative to invite him to her place, he was awe struck.

* * *

><p>Kate made a pot of coffee, popped some popcorn, and told Castle to pick a movie out. He wasn't exactly sure where she was going, but he wasn't going to push her to show him whatever it was she had in mind. He would be patient with her, as he always was.<p>

She grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch, and took a seat. She held the warm mug of coffee between her hands, pulled her feet underneath her and looked at a nervous Richard Castle.

"Well, are you going to stand there all night, or are you going to sit down?" asked the detective with a hint of a smile on her face

"I'll sit, but only if you are willing to share you're blanket. It's colder than the morgue in here, Beckett." joked Castle

"Fine Castle, but no funny business."

"Cross my heart, my dear detective"

He skipped, yes skipped over to where she sat all curled up in the corner of the sofa. He sat down, but left a half a foot between them. Kate wanted the closeness of him. She wanted his touch. She wanted to hold his hand like she had done after Martha's one woman show. She didn't want to be too obvious though, so she excused herself for a moment.

While she was gone, Rick scooted over a couple of inches in the direction where Kate was sitting. He unknowingly had the same idea she did.

She had been gone for a couple of minutes, when he heard something fall.

"Beckett, are you okay?" he called out from the living room

"Oww!, I'm fine." she said

He walked towards the direction of her voice.

"Beckett, where are you?"

"I'm in the bathroom, Castle... can you please come here for a minute"

"Um, uh.."

"Castle, shut up. I'm perfectly decent, just come here and help me"

As he entered the room where Kate was sitting on the floor. She had changed into a NYPD sweatshirt and black leggings and she looked beautiful. However, she was holding her side like she was in pain. He knelt beside her and rested his hand on top of hers.

"Kate, are you alright? What happened?"

"I'm fine, it's just that I still get these sharp pains in my side where the incision was. If I twist or turn wrong, it's pretty painful. It just really caught me off guard this time. I was reaching for a clean cloth to wash my face, and I just toppled over, I guess", She said with a hint of embarrassment, and a lot of frustration.

"Here, lets get you up"

He wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her easily to her feet. He didn't let go of her once she was standing again. He encircled her waist, now with both of his strong, yet gentle arms. Without her heels, she was significantly shorter than he was. He looked down at her and saw tears in her eyes.

"No hiding, Kate. I'm here for you, please tell me what's wrong"

Oh how it pained him to see her upset. He loved this woman. His detective. His muse, but oh so much more than that.

"Rick, come with me, I need to show you something"

She took his hand, and led him into her office area. As they approached the makeshift murder boards that she had created on the shutters he could hear her trying to keep from crying. She turned to him, and buried her face into his shoulder. All he could do was hold her. He still had no idea what this was about, or what was going on, but he wouldn't push.

"Shh, Shh, It's okay. It's going to be okay." he said as he stroked the back of her hair and held her.

As her sobs lessed and she regained some control, she reached up and touched his face.

"Rick, it's gone."

Confused, he replied, "What is?"

"My mom... " she took a deep breath before continuing, "My mom, wouldn't have wanted me to waste my life trying to solve something that won't bring her back. If I, we, solve this thing, she is still going to be gone."

Rick ran his hands up and down her arms, slowly, and calmly until she was able to get everything out that she needed to say. He was pretty sure he knew what was coming. He hoped it was coming, but he couldn't do this for her. She needed to be the one to say it. He couldn't help her here.

"Castle, you have been so patient with me. So much more so than I deserve. I don't want my mom's case to define who I am anymore. I... I am ready to.."

But before she could say another word, he had his lips lightly pressed to hers. It wasn't fierce or out of controll. It was sweet, caring, and and just what they both needed at that moment.

This was new territory for them. Slowly, their lips began to move softly againts the others. He pulled her in closer to his body and ran his fingers through her hair. He opened his mouth slightly and barely licked her lips until she opened for him. Their tounges and lips began to dance a dance that they had longed for. What started a sweet and innocent was beginning to merge into something filled with passion and want. No need.

Kate suddenly pulled away.

"I..." said Rick

"Shh, I need to finish what I was going to tell you" she said

"Okay, but then can we pick up where we left off?" he said, trying to lighten the mood again

"You may not want to"

Okay, now he was worried. What was she about to tell him? It didn't matter. He was head over heels in love with her and whatever she is about to say, they will work though. They have to. That's what they do.


	4. Chapter 4

**First of all, thank you so much for the reviews. I have wanted to write a fan fic for a long time now, but was pretty nervous about it. I'm trying to watch for mistakes, but if I miss something, please tell me so I can correct it.**

**I'm open to any suggestions with this story as well, so feel free to throw in ideas. =)**

**Disclaimer: Castle isn't mine. Boooo!**

**Chapter Four **

_Previously:_

_Kate suddenly pulled away._

_"I..." said Rick_

_"Shh, I need to finish what I was going to tell you" she said_

_"Okay, but then can we pick up where we left off?" he said, trying to lighten the mood again_

_"You may not want to"_

_Okay, now he was worried. What was she about to tell him? It didn't matter. He was head over heels in love with her and whatever she is about to say, they will work though. They have to. That's what they do._

"Castle, as I was saying, before I was interrupted", she said with a slight smile that earned one in return from him, "It's all gone now. My mother's murder board. I took it down."

She wasn't speaking in complete sentences, and of course, the writer in him noticed. He didn't care though, he was just thankful she was able to get these thoughts together in some fashion and out into the open. He heart swelled at the knowledge of her trusting him enough to cry on his shoulder and share the weight of the world with him. She shouldn't have to carry it all by herself. He wouldn't let her.

"Are you sure that's what you want?" he asked quietly

"No, but it's what I need."

He took her hand and pulled her to sit next to him on the lounge chair.

"Kate, it's okay to let this case go for now.", he said before wrapping his arms around her.

"I know, Castle, but I want the person responsible for my mother's death to pay for what they did."

"They will pay, we will get them. We will do it together, and when you are ready."

She lifted her head so she was looking up at him. "Rick," she said, "I lied to you." She turned her head away again, and waited for his response. She had no idea how this was going to turn out.

"You lied? What are you talking about?", he asked as he caressed her back with his hands.

"I told you that I didn't remember anything...", she hesitated, "...about the day in the cemetary."

She felt him tense and she was pretty sure his heart rate had quickened. He hadn't said anything yet, but he had stopped rubbing her back. However, he still had his arms around her, so she was hopeful that this wouldn't be as bad as she had expected.

"So... you do remember something?" he asked coldly as he removed his arms from her and stood up.

"I... I.. Um, Rick. I never forgot. I heard everything, but I couldn't deal wi.." and he cut her off.

"You LIED to me, Beckett. Why would you let me believe for nine months that you had no idea what was going on that day?", his hurt had begun to turn to anger.

"If you heard what I said, then you obviously saw the terror in my eyes. You knew exactly what I was going through and you STILL chose to cut me off for more than 3 months this summer?" He ran his hands through his hair and down his face. "Kate! How could you?", now his own eyes were moist with tears as he replayed that heartbreaking day in May over again.

"I was scared, Rick." She stood, not knowing what to do. Her instinct was to run. Anytime she felt out of control, or out of her own comfort zone she would push people away. She couldn't stand to see the heartbreak that was so apparent on his face right now.

"YOU were scared? YOU?" He took a step closer and was trying to keep his emotions under wraps but it just wasn't working right now. Everything they needed to say was right here. It was now or never.

Taking a few deep breaths, he quickly calmed himself down. He had to, if he was going to have any chance with this stubborn woman.

"Kate," he said quietly, "I held you in my arms that day, with your blood all over me, thinking I would never see you again. You were dying, Kate. Your eyes had no life in them, your body was limp. If it hadn't have been for Lanie, you would have died before you made it to the hospital. You flat lined twice, and during one of those times, I watched. I cannot put into words the nauseating, excruciating, emotional pain I felt knowing I had lost the woman I love." He stopped momentarily to gauge her reaction.

She wasn't looking at him, but she was thinking and listening.

"Kate, I shouldn't have told you that I loved you." he said

Now she was looking at him. "What?", she said, suddenly confused and worried that he hadn't meant it.

He must have read her mind because he took both of her hand in his and squeezed them gently.

"Kate, It wasn't fair to you for me to have told you then that I loved you. I thought I had lost you, and I had to make sure you knew how I felt before you were gone." he said as he placed a soft kiss to her forehead.

Now she understood. She knew he meant what he said, but had it been any ordinary day, he wouldn't have said it until she was ready to hear it.

"I put you in those crosshairs, and it's my fault..." he sadly said before she interrupted him.

"Richard Castle, don't you EVER try to blame yourself for what happened that day!" she said.

She was infuriated that he thought it was her fault. He wasn't the one that pulled the trigger. He had tried to take the bullet for her.

"Rick, you saw it coming, and you tried to push me out of the way. You could have been killed. You have a family at home. Alexis and Martha would have been devastated had anything happened to you."

"What about you, Kate?"

"What?"

"What if it had been me?" he said, "What if I were the one laying on the ground, bleeding out in YOUR arms?" he paused and she knew what was coming.

"Would you have told me then how you really feel about me? About us?" he asked expectantly.

"That's not fair, Castle." she said.

"Kate, I'm not asking you to sit here and tell me that you love me. I hope you do, but I know you aren't to that place yet. I just need to know if you ever will be. Do you still want me to wait? Am I waiting for something, or for nothing?"

He stood up, and was walking towards the living room to gather his things. This night hadn't gone like he had planned, but progress was made nonetheless. He knew Kate needed time to think.

Just as he had a hand on the door knob to leave her apartment he felt her hand on his shoulder. He froze. He didn't turn his body to face hers but did turn his head slightly.

"Until tomorrow, Detective" he said as he opened the door and left.

**I didn't want to end this chapter, but had I continued it would have been too many different scenes for one chapter. I should have the next one completed soon. I hope you are all still enjoying this as much as I am.**

**xoxo**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, it's taken a couple of days for me to work out all of this "crime-y" stuff. We needed a break from the mushy stuff... but don't worry. We'll be back to that soon enough. It wouldn't be a Castle fic without a little drama. I hope you guys enjoy. I'll try to have the next chapter up by tomorrow.**

**xoxo!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned them, we would already have a season 5 contract. I don't, and we are still waiting. ::sighs::**

**0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-**

Castle entered his home to find his mother reading over lines for her newest play. While he thought she wasn't paying any attention to him, he walked towards his office without saying anything to her.

"Richard, darling," she said, addressing her son, "help your dear mother out and read over these lines with me."

"Not tonight, Mother" he said, as he kept walking

"Uuh ohh, what's wrong kiddo?" she asked as she set her script down and followed after him.

"It's nothing. Now if you'll excuse me..."

"Richard, you had a fight with Beckett didn't you?"

_ (How does she do that? She always knows)_

He turned and leaned his back against the door frame, and cast a downward glance towards the floor.

"She remembered me telling her how I felt."

"Oh darling, that's wonderful, but why the long face?"

"Mother, she never forgot. She said she knew I said it from the beginning, but she has been lying to me this whole time." He looked pitiful, like a small child who had just lost his favorite toy.

He drew a breath and continued while he mother listened, "Truth be known, I have always suspected that she knew. I had come to terms with it, because I knew she wasn't ready. "

"If you knew, then why are you letting it bother you so much?" she asked, before gasping and throwing her hand over her mouth, "Oh no, Richard! She didn't tell you she doesn't return those feelings, did she?"

"No, no. It was nothing like that. She didn't say one way or another how she felt, but she did let me kiss her." He thought for a minute, and immediately scolded himself for doing that. He should have had more control. He shouldn't have pushed her. What if she really didn't love him like he loves her?

"I kissed her, but that was before she confessed. So I guess I am still unsure where I stand. Where we stand...". He pushed himself off of the door facing and continued walked into his office.

"Richard?"

"Hmm?"

"Kate is crazy about you. I know you already know that. If you didn't atleast suspect it, you wouldn't still be allowed to follow her around" She winked at him, turned to retrieve her script and headed back into the living room.

Castle was beat. He retreated to his bathroom to shower and get ready for bed. It wasn't late, but right now he just wanted to sleep. Sleep didn't come easily for him though. His mind was reeling. He knew all along that she probably heard and remembered his declaration of love for her, so why did her confession catch him so off guard? Maybe it was because she hadn't admitted to loving him in return when she confessed. He was certain that was the reason. Why hadn't she though? Now, he was worried. He couldn't just be Kate Becketts bestfriend. He needed her. He needed her like he needed air. He wanted so badly for him to be her one and done. Sure, he didn't have the best track record when it came to marriages, but Kate had said herself that maybe the third time is the charm. He smiled at the memory of that day. He had been letting his writers imagination run away with him. Surely she felt the same way. He had to believe that. He was just going to give her some space and let her come to him when she was ready.

He looked at his phone once more to make sure he didn't have any messages from her. He didn't, so he closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

It was 3:03 am when she was awakened by the blaring screams of her ringing cell phone.

"Beckett" she answered while trying to stiffle a yawn

"Better bring the entire pot of coffee with you this morning, Beckett." said an entirely too awake Detective Ryan

"Uggh, what do we have, and where?" she groaned

"You'll never believe it" said Ryan, "Three bodies, right smack dab infront of the Old Haunt."

"Whaat?" she asked in disbelief. "Alright, I'm on my way. Oh, and Kev?"

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind calling Castle? I'm sure he won't want to miss this one."

"Uh, yeah but I'm sure he would much rather _you_ wake him up at 3:00am instead of me." He said while laughing

"Don't make me hurt you, Detective"

"See ya there."

Beckett ended the call, quickly got dressed, filled her travel mug with coffee, grabbed her coat and exited her apartment.

"_Why can't murders occur during normal business hours_" she wondered to herself

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

She approached the crime scene to find Lanie already at work.

"What do we have" asked Beckett of the ME

"Well, all are white males, with no wallets, no ID's, no cell phones... and obviously, no, place to put those things even if they did have them." She said sarcasticly while pointing to the state of dress (or undress in this case) of the men.

"All three were placed here after they were killed by single GSW to the head, likely a .38, but I can't confirm that, or TOD until I get them back to the lab."

"Why in the world would someone kill them, undress them, and bring them _here_?" asked Esposito

"Maybe to get rid of evidence left on their clothes." suggested Ryan.

"Maybe, but this is a very public area, didn't they realize there are traffic and security cameras all over the place? Ryan, Esposito see what you can pull from the video footage and I'll see if I can't locate someone that may have seen something. Meanwhile, have CSU canvass the area in search for clothes, I.D.'s, anything that might tell us who they are."

"On it Boss" the two male partners said at the same time.

"Yo Beckett," said Esposito

"Yeah?"

"Where is Castle? I figured he would have beat the uniforms here, seeing how it's _his_ bar and all"

"How should I know?" she said with a little too much emotion.

"I called him, like you asked me to" said Ryan

"You called him? Why didn't Beckett call him?" Espo said while turning from Ryan to now face his female boss.

"Anyone can call him, it doesn't always have to be me" she said while sipping her coffee and walking away, glad to avoid the rest of that conversation.

"So, Mom and Dad had a fight." Ryan stated

"Looks that way, Bro." Agreed Esposito

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Beckett sat at her desk looking over the notes Lanie had sent up for her to review. None of the three victims prints were in the system, and so far CSU hadn't located any forms of ID. From Lanie's initial report, it looks as through she was right. COD was, indeed, a single gun shot wound to the head by a .38.

"Esposito," said Beckett, "Has Ryan gotten anywhere on the video footage?"

"Not yet, but we are still waiting on a couple of more tapes."

"Alright, well let me know what you come up with. I'm going down to the morgue to see if Lanie has narrowed down the time of death."

Just as she was reaching for the elevator call button, the doors opened and out stepped Castle, holding a cup of coffee. _One_ cup of coffee.

"Morning, Detective." He said but kept walking.

"Hey Castle" she greeted him, with a wrinkled brow and a dumbfounded look on her face.

Still, she entered the elevator and continued down to see what else Lanie had found.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"Castle, my man" said Espo while patting the writer on the back. "Please tell me you are going to put this case into your next book..."

He let out a laugh, "Let's see how interesting it turns out to be first."

"Mr. Castle, my office. Now." Said Gates

"Uh-oh, someone is in trouble" said Ryan.

"You two detectives can join Mr. Castle in here as well. "she added.

All three boys looked at one another, silently wondering what in the hell they had done, and wondering why Gates was even in this early. Even when they caught as case in the middle of the night, it was still unusual for her to be in before eight o' clock.

Upon entering her office, she asked the men to have a seat. She looked pointedly at Castle, removed her glasses and said nothing.

"Something I can help you with, Captain?" asked Castle,

"Richard Castle, do you have any idea why we have three nearly nude men, all with similar physical traits as yourself, dead infront of _your_ bar?''

He had a smug smile on his face while he muttered, "I highly doubt ALL of their physical traits are similar to mine"

Esposito and Ryan couldn't help but laugh, because, well, being the men that they are, they knew which particular physical trait the writer would be referring to.

"Mr. Castle, I will have none of that in my precinct, is that clear?" she barked

"Yes, Ma'am. Sir. Sir. Yes Sir." he stuttered while trying his best to wipe the grin off of his face.

"Detectives, Mr. Castle,"she addressed all three of them, "I trust that you will each make it very clear to Detective Beckett that I want this case closed immediately. The last thing we need is for the media to tear into this."

Right then, they all three knew what she meant. Rick was following around the city's top homicide detective, and now three were dead infront of HIS bar. No, that didn't look good. At all.

"Sir, I can assure you that we all want to close this case quickly. Beckett is at the morgue with Dr. Parish as we speak." said Ryan.

"Keep me informed, and as soon as you get those videos from the rest of the security cameras, you let me know. Understood?"

"Yes Sir" said Esposito

The two detectives and the writer left Gates' office knowing that Kate needed to be warned of the Captian's current mood.

"Castle, you'd better get to the lab and let Beckett know that Gates isn't in a playful mood today"

"I'll let you be the bearer of bad news, Ryan" he said while taking a seat in front of the murder board.

"What is going on with the two of you?" asked Javier

"What are you talking about?"

"You and Beckett." said Ryan "First she has me call you this morning about the case, then you show up with coffee just for yourself, and now you won't go talk to her."

"Ha. I thought so. So, she really did put you up to calling me?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"Nothing. I think I'm going to go. You guys call me if you find anything I can help with."

And with that he was already to the elevator and leaving the twelfth.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Kate hadn't really had a good look at the victim when they were still at the crime scene. She was still half asleep, plus it was very dark. Now, in the morgue, she felt nauseated at what she saw. It was clear to Lanie that Kate was bothered by this. All three of the men were about 40 years old, 6'1", around 200lbs, perfect dark hair, muscular build and as much as she didn't want to admit it, ruggedly handsome.

"Lanie, do you have a TOD yet?" she asked the ME while trying to hide the disgust she felt while looking at the victims.

"Kate, honey, are you okay?" she asked her friend

"Yeah, Lanie, I'm fine. I just want to hurry up and get this case closed."

"Alright, well as I indicated in the report, all three died from a small caliber gun shot. They were all killed from behind. There are no indications of a struggle. No defensive wounds. Looks to me as they had no idea they were being targeted."

She looked at Kate to make sure she was really okay. She knew she wasn't, but continued anyway.

"They weren't shot point blank, but I would say no more than 10-15 feet away. My best guess for a time of death is between 11pm and 1am for all three of them." concluded the ME.

"Thanks Lanie, let me know if you find anything else helpful."

"You know I will. And Kate?"

"Hmm?"

"If you need a friend, you know where to find me."

She nodded toward Lanie, and left to go add the TOD window to the timeline.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Castle decided to walk back to the loft from the precinct. Sure, it would take him over an hour to get there, but he needed the time to clear his head. He had already decided to give Kate some space, but he didn't think she would just start having someone else call him when a body would drop.

He was about 6 blocks from his building when his phone rang.

"Castle"

"Richard. Thank God, you are alright!"

"Gina?"


	6. Chapter 6

**I am so sorry this has taken me so long to update. I have had a really hard time with this crime stuff. I have the next chapter outlined already. We will be back to the fluffy stuff soon. Please comment, but don't hate me too much if this chapter is terrible. xoxo**

**Disclaimer: If I owned them, the crime stuff in the show would obviously suck. haha**

* * *

><p>He stopped dead in his tracks. Gina called him, and was actually concerned for his safety. Why?<p>

"Richard, I heard all about it, and it's truely awful. I can't imagine anyone wanting to drink there again. Heaven knows I wouldn't." She rambled on

"Gina, what are you talking about?" he asked, already having a good idea, but not wanting to confirm anything.

"Antonio," she said, " He called me this morning about five o' clock and said there was a lot of cops and detectives in front of your bar."

"Yes, it's unfortunate" he said, trying to sound unfazed.

"Richard, you are already distracted enough, and months behind on your book. I know you, and I know you are going to continue to follow that detective around, especially since this involves your bar, but I'll have you know, I can't cover for you forever. I need a minimum of 10 chapters on my desk by the end of the month." She told him, sounding more like a parent than a publisher.

"Ah," he said as he began walking again. "You know, Gina, that was almost believable. I nearly bought into your little act. You never disappoint though. It's always about you. You weren't worried about me. Just my... I mean, your carreer." he snapped then disconnected the call.

Upon arriving home, he noticed he had a text message. He saw it was from Kate, but didn't bother to open it right away. Instead, he started sorting through his mail. Mostly advertisements, and other junk mail, but there was one letter addressed to Alexis. It didn't have a return address, which had Castle's attention. He tried to come of with ways of opening it, but knew that his wise and observant daughter would notice, and scold him for it. He dismissed those ideas and placed the letter on the table for her.

He sat down at his computer in an attempt to write. He just hadn't been in the mood lately. There was too much else on his mind. There was so much that had been unsaid over the months. While he and Kate had become closer in some aspects, in others they had become more distant. Maybe distant wasn't the right word, but there had definitely been a shift in there so called relationship. The first three years had been filled with banter and innuendo. Now, it seemed like there was an unspoken agreement that kept them from being _them._

He gave up, writing wasn't happening today either. How could he write about Heat and Rook when he and Beckett were on 'odd' terms right now. He closed his computer, plopped down onto his bed, grabbed his remote and began channel surfing. He must have dozed off, because he was startled when his phone began ringing.

It was _her._

He wasn't sure what made him do it, but he ignored the call. He wasn't in the mood to talk. Rick Castle was at war with himself. Just last night, he laid in this very bed and convinced himself that he was okay with her having some space. Now here he was acting almost bitter. His mother and daughter would tell him he was being selfish and acting like a brat. They would be right. He hadn't meant to act smug and arrogant, but suddenly that is how he felt like he had been behaving. He should have brought her coffee as usual. Instead, after purchasing the two coffees, he replayed the previous nights events in his mind, and became frustrated again. When he entered the precinct building, he dropped her coffee into the trash. He was being a fool. He knew that now.

His phone chimed indicating a voice mail, but he didn't listen to it. Even though he knew he had a bad attitude, he still wasn't ready to 'make nice'.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Frustrated, she slammed her phone down onto her desk.

"Still can't reach him?" asked Ryan

"No." she snapped.

"Beckett, did Castle see any of the victims or their photos?" asked Esposito

"No, I don't think so. I didn't put the murder board together until I came back from the morgue this morning, and he was gone by then." she said while unintentionally rolling her eyes.

Esposito and Ryan shared a look, "Beckett, I'm going to find him. There is too many weird things about this case for him to be avoiding our calls" said Espo.

"You comin'?" he added

She thought for a moment before deciding that she would stay behind and see what else she could dig up on their victims now that she knew who they were.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Captain, may I have a word?" asked Beckett after she tapped on the door frame of her office

"Sure, Detective, come in."

"Sir, I'm not sure how up to date you are on this case, but I wanted to discuss with you what we have learned."

"Please continue."

"CSU located all three I.D.'s belonging to our victms. It appears that they have something else in common, aside from similar physical traits."

"Well, what is it?"

"They are all writers for The Times," she said as a worried expression washed over her features

Gates once again removed her glasses and leaned forward onto her desk, "Beckett, I already put a protective detail on him. He doesn't know about it, and I think that's for the best until we know more."

She released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "Thank you, Sir."

She stood to leave, but turned to face the captain once again, "As soon as Ryan and Esposito get back, we are going to to talk to the employer."

"Keep me updated, Detective."

"Thank you, Sir. I will."

She went back to the murder board to add the names to the photos. Just as she placed the cap back on the marker, her phone vibrated.

_**When you have some free time, I need to talk- RC**_

She was glad to see he wasn't avoiding her anymore. She knew they had a lot to talk about. She just hoped they could do it without blowing up at one another. She thought that given the circumstances, her confession hadn't went all that badly. He was calm for the most part. After the shock wore off, she thought he was okay with it. She thought he understood why she had kept it from him. She was afraid, and is still afraid of hurting him. Apparently, it had been worse than she thought. She didn't expect him to act so cold towards her. They'd talk about it though. Maybe. Who was she kidding? They never talk about things. They talked around them, but never about them. She was going to have to get better at communicating with him.

She opened the text again to reply.

_**Sounds good. Could use ur help around here. Care to join me?- K**_

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Beckett had been trying to contact the family members of her victims ever since she learned their names. She hadn't been successful, so she grabbed her keys and headed to her car. She may as well be productive.

Upon entering the highrise office building, she made her way to a receptionist located along the back wall of the lobby.

"May I help you?" asked the young girl

"Yes, I am Detective Kate Beckett." she flashed her badge, and the young girls eyes widened. "It's imparative that I speak with John Wyatt, is he available?"

"I am afraid he is in a meeting, but I am sure he wouldn't mind being pulled out of it for a few minutes" she offered. "Have a seat, and I'll buzz him."

Beckett was seated for about 5 minutes when a pale, balding, skinny man approached her with his hand extended. They introduced themselves and he directed her to a private meeting room.

"Detective, what can I help you with?"

"Mr. Wyatt, I am afraid that three of your employees were found murdered this morning." she paused for a moment to let him digest the news. "Ronnie Smith, Daniel Lewis, and Michael Thomas were found outside of a local bar this morning."

John Wyatt lowered his head into his hands. He took a moment before speaking again "Please tell me you have some idea of who is responsible for this." he pleaded.

"Those men were all great writers. They had outgoing personalities. Everyone loved them. Who would do this? They were all husbands and fathers." Just then panic washed over him, "Oh God! Do their families know?"

"Mr. Wyatt, we haven't been able to contact their families. We have sent officers to their homes, but no one has been able to locate them. Do you by chance have any emergancy contact numbers for them?"

"Cindy, in HR will be more than happy to get that information for you, I'll see to it."

"Thank you, Sir." she said, "Had you noticed any unusual behavior from them lately, had they seemed worried, upset or anything out of the ordinary?"

John thought for a minute, "You know what, Detective, I don't know if it's anything, but all three of them had been recently promoted, so to speak. They were each offered more money, and more freedom to write about whatever they wanted. There were several complaints made by a few of other employees that weren't so excited for them."

"I'll need a list of names, and copies of any formal complaints."

She handed him a business card, and told him to call her with any more information.

"No problem, Detective Beckett. I'll make sure it's in your hands by this evening."

"Thanks, I'll be in touch."

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Beckett", she answered without looking at the screen of her phone

"Detective, are you hungry?"

"Castle, I can't leave right now. We finally have a lead and..."

"Don't worry about leaving, I'll bring dinner to you. Are the boys still there?"

"Yes, but Castle you don't..."

He cut her off again, "Beckett, you all have to eat. End of discussion. See you in a bit."

She put her phone away again, and asked her two male partners if either of them had clued Castle in on the case. Neither of them had, and they weren't sure if they should. Everyone knew Rick Castle tended to go rogue as often as possible, and this was one case he didn't need to investigate at all. In fact, he didn't need to be anywhere near it.

"Crap!" said Beckett

"What?" said Ryan and Esposito at the same time

"Castle said he was bringing dinner for all of us." she said

"Sooo?" asked Ryan

"Oh, I hope it's not chinese again, I swear I'm going to turn into rice if I don't start eating something different soon" joked Esposito

"Guys!" snapped Kate, "He is going to see the murder board, and he is going to ask questions."

"Beckett, you know there is no way we can keep him away from here, much less this case once he finds out the info on the vics" offered Ryan

She knew he was right, and honestly keeping this from Castle may not be the best of ideas anyway, especially given the secrets they were already dealing with.

"You talked to Castle?" Said Esposito, suddenly realizing everything she had just said

"Yeah." She looked at him like he was crazy. She just told them that.

"So you two aren't fighting anymore?" asked Ryan

"We were never fighting."

"Sure you weren't" said Espo

That last statement earned him a Beckett styled glare, followed by a trademark eyeroll.

"I guess we are going to have to fill him in. Then we are going to have to keep an eye on him." Said Beckett. "I know Gates already put a detail on him, but I want you guys to help me make sure he doesn't do anything stupid" she finished

"Did you just say Iron Gates put a detail on _Castle?"_

"I know, I couldn't believe it myself. I went into her office to ask her to do it, but she already had" she said

Just then the elevator doors opened and Castle came trotting through the bull pen carrying 6 pizza boxes. He said quick hellos to everyone while walking past them towards the break room.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to him alone for a minute and explain what has transpired."

They boys nodded in agreement and Beckett asked them to pull the video footage so she could show him after she explained some things to him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

She entered the break room, closing the door behind her, and pulling the blinds down.

"Castle we need to talk"

"We don't have to right now, Beckett. I know I said I wanted to talk, but we can do i.."

"Castle it's not about that. This is serious." she immediately realized she had just insinuated that their issues weren't serious. She looked up at him and saw confusion and hurt in his eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that, Rick. Look, sit down. I have something I need to talk to you about."

"Okay, what is it?"

"This morning three men were found murdered in front of your bar, which you already knew about." she began. "When Lanie got them back to the lab, we discovered that all of them are between 38 and 42 years old. They all are over six feet tall, all have a strong build, a lot of dark hair, and.." she was interrupted

"and they all look like me?" he said. "I know. Gates made it clear that they resembled me when she called me in her office this morning."

"Gates talked to you?" she asked, baffled

"Yeah, and Ryan and Espo." he added. "She said she wanted this case closed quickly because it could bring unwanted media attention since it was infront of my bar, and I happen to follow you around."

She nodded and continued, "Castle, once CSU found the identification of the victims, I had Esposito and Ryan run backgrounds, financials, and such."

Castle sat on the edge of the table with his hands folded over his knee. He was, for once, listening intently without throwing crazy theories out there to annoy her.

"Rick," she said softly, "They are all writers."

His mouth opened, then closed. He didn't really know what to say. He couldn't figure out why someone would kill three writers, and sit them in front of _his_ bar. Not to mention, they'd picked three writers that looked a lot like himself.

He smiled a smile that Beckett could tell was forced, "Maybe someone is trying to tell me something...?"

"Castle, Gates has a detail on you." she told him

"I don't need a protective detail on me, Beckett. You know I am more than capable of handling sticky situations."

"Castle, you are more than capable of _getting into_ sticky situations... I'm not so sure about getting _out_ of them yet." She was halfway teasing him, but the truth was, she didn't want him to see how worried this had her.

The duo left the break room and went back into the bull pen with the rest of their team. Ryan was on the phone with someone, and began snapping his fingers at Beckett so he could get her attention. He grabbed a pen and paper, jotted down an address and hung up.

"Boss, we might have something here." he said waving the paper he had just written on. "Turns out, Lanie found a hair on one of the body's that didn't match any of our victims."

"So what's the paper?" asked Castle, taking a sip of his now luke warm coffee

"The name of the owner of that hair. Turns out he has a record... "

"What's the name?" asked Beckett

"Antonio Burgess"

As soon as the words were out of the detective's mouth, Castle couldn't stop the force at which the coffee escaped from his nostrils.

All eyes in the bull pen were now on the writer as he was coughing and sputtering to prevent actually choking on the beverage.

"Twenty says he knows the guy", said Espo to Ryan

"Nah, I think your right." answered Ryan

"Is there _anything_ the two of you _don't_ bet on?" asked Beckett while letting them both have her signature eye roll.

"Are you finished?" asked Kate teasingly

"Almost" answered Castle with one last clear of this throat

"Good. Now, who is Antonio Burgess?" asked Espo

"The guy whose hair was on our vic."

"Castle!" said the three detectives at once

"Whaat?"

"How do _you_ know him?" asked Ryan

All three of them were now standing in a semi circle in front of him. He suddenly felt like he was the one being interrogated... again.

"Um... He was kind of an editor for Heat Wave..." he answer while trying to back away

"Kind of?" asked Beckett

"Yeah, my publisher and I fired him for taking too long to edit things, and not catching simple mistakes that he should have caught."

"So you and Gina fired him?" Beckett asked, without much of a friendly tone.

"Well, I fired him, because Gina told me to."

"Do you do everything your ex wife tells you to do?"

"N. .. No. I just trust" he stopped when he saw the look on Kate's face, and knew he needed to reword what he was about to say.

"Gina knows this business, and he handles all of that sort of thing. She knows who is best, and who isn't"

"So why didn't Gina fire him? Why did you have to do it?" asked Kate, dryly

"Um.. I... I don't really know. I just did it." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ryan and Esposito felt as if they were watching an tennis match as Mom and Dad did the whole 'back and forth' thing again with the bickering.

"Um, I hate to interrupt this little..." said Espo, while gesturing toward the should be couple, "...whatever this is, but we have a lead to follow up on"

"Right", said Beckett

"You and Ryan bring him in, while Castle and I look through his background a little more"

"On it boss" said Ryan as the two male detectives headed towards the elevator

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Antonio Burgess was brought into interrogation by one of the other uniforms while Castle and Beckett were in the conference room discussing the conversation Rick had with Gina on the phone. Castle had to admit that he enjoyed, just a little bit, seeing Beckett jealous. She could hide a lot, but not this. She would almost wince each time she said Gina's name. It took Castle every ounce of will power to school his face of any smirks that wanted to sneak up at jealous, fidgety Kate Beckett.

"Beckett, our guy is in room 2, when you are ready." said Ryan

"Thanks, I'll be right there"

She turned to Castle and informed him that it would be best if he watched from observation since he knew the suspect. Castle reluctantly agreed, but not before putting on his best pouty face.

"Not working, Castle" said Beckett as she left the conference room, for interrogation

"Espo, you comin?"

"I think I'll watch, if it's alright with you. I think this is going to be pretty easy. The guy is sweating bullets in there." he nodded his head towards the door.

Kate entered the box, took her seat in front of her suspect, and opened the folder. The truth was, there wasn't a whole lot in there except for minor traffic violations, and one unpaid parking ticket. The only thing that stood out was a domestic battery charge that dated back more than 10 years ago. However, that was enough to have his DNA on file.

"Mr. Burgess, it's been brought to my attention that your DNA was found at the crime scene of three men."

"Ain't no way" he said matter of factly

"Really? Because, I also have a witness that places you at the crime scene" she said while leaning forward on the table,

"That stupid bitch" he mumbled under his breath

"What was that?"

"Nothin' " he said

"I was just issued a warrant, Mr. Burgess. I have my team ready to go search your apartment, your car, your place of employement, unless you care to tell me exactly what happened."

"I ain't killed no body, Lady"

"Antonio, how did you take it when you were fired by Mr. Castle and his publisher?"

"What's that got to do with anything?" he said angrily

"I have three dead men, Mr. Burgess, all of which are writers. All of which look very similar to Mr. Castle..." Now her voice were stern. She had a feeling they had their guy.

"Why were you in contact with Black Pawn? It's my understanding that you haven't done any work for them in months. Why would you feel the need to call one of Mr. Castle publishers after you dumped the bodies in front of his bar?" She said it quickly, and loudly in hope of getting him mad enough to let something slip.

He wouldn't look up at her. He just sat fiddling with the hem of his shirt. Nervously tapping his foot on the floor, and constantly shifting in his chair.

"Mr. Burgess!" She yelled. "Answer the question!"

"I wanted the son of a bitch to find them as soon as possible!"

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-


End file.
